Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Carter Ross
GURPS offers a wide
array of shapeshifting
options, but the
Shapeshift spells detailed
in GURPS Magic and
GURPS Grimoire are
limited to transmorphing
humans and demihumans
into various animal
forms.
Even Merging Shapeshift
(p. G12) and Great
Shapeshift (p. G12)
significantly limit the modifications wizards can make to their own or other's bodies.
To create a truly wondrous creature with magic -- a human adapted to subaquatic life or a
bear that can wield a sword -- requires something greater than Shapeshifting.
Gene weaving, the magical manipulation of DNA, makes possible everything from
existing shapeshifting spells to magical cloning and the magical equivalent of nanotech
genetic surgery.
GURPS Bio-Tech outlines the possibilities for wholesale genetic modification via
nanotech viruses, such as the Proteus Nanovirus (p. BIO77) and the Metamorphosis Virus
(p. BIO79). These viruses -- along with the rules for genetically engineered animals (p.
BIO98-105) -- provide the basis for the Gene College of magic and the gene weaving
process.
Gene weaving is not for dabblers. It requires Magery, as well as much time and energy.
Unusual physical components should be required. The changes wrought by gene weaving
are permanent unless reversed by another gene weaver or a Great Wish (p. M44).
Gene weaving can be added to a campaign as a standalone college, a la Tech Magic, or its
spells could be divided among the Body Control, Animal, Enchantment and Healing
Colleges.
If treated as a stand-alone college, the Gene College should be divided into five subcolleges:
Alter Body (p. M28), Enchant (p. M42), Golem (p. M44), and Lengthen Limb (p. G18) are
closely associated with the college and are prerequisites for several Gene College spells.
At higher Tech Levels (TL6+), Genetics, Surgery, Biochemistry, or other science skills can
be prerequisites for successful gene weaving, at GM discretion, and such skills may add a
bonus to casting these spells. Additional spell prerequisites or unusual physical
components may be required for some modifications, after all, the new genetic material
must come from somewhere.
Two of these spells -- Resequence and Seek Genome -- are similar to Manipulate DNA
(PY29/43) and Sequence DNA (PY29/44) from Bio-Tech Designer's Notes, however
where Manipulate DNA and Sequence DNA provide bonuses to the use of Genetics
(Genetic Engineering) skill rolls, Resequence and Seek Genome direct the flow of magical
energy to effect the genetic change. This allows for more immediate results than are
achievable with traditional genetic engineering; changes can be made to adult individuals
instead of to the next generation.
Gene weaving spells allow the caster to add at least one advantage (Amphibious, Pressure
Support, Fur, Winged Flight, etc.) to the subject. Just like the Metamorphosis Virus, each
advantage added requires one mage day to complete the transformation. The process also
requires at least an hour of prep time for the caster to determine which traits must be
adapted.
Crossovers
Gene weavers -- or at least the results of their magic -- can find a home in any type of
campaign, although they are especially well suited to hybrid magic/cyberpunk campaigns.
In a Fantasy campaign, magi could use gene weaving to create servants and guards, a la
the Wicked Witch of the West and her Winged Monkeys in The Wizard of Oz. Or humans
might use gene weaving to better live in different environments, such as underwater.
Similarly, a space campaign with magical elements could replace technology-based
Move/Dodge: 5#/7
PD/DR: 1/1
Damage: *
Reach: C
Size: 1
Weight: 160 lbs.
Origin: SF
Habitat: -
Component Spells: Affix New Limb (x2), Enslave, Musculate, Reform Skeleton,
Resequence (maintain for 6 days), Sculpt Flesh, and Seek Genome (x3).
Modifications made: HT +1, DX -1, wings, heavier fur, claws, and prehensile tail.
Created by the Wicked Witch of the West as loyal servants, these flying monkeys appear
to be a hideous mixture of a raven, a bat and a monkey. Bat-like wings sprout from their
shoulder blades, allowing the monkeys to fly with an aerial move of 14, and their bodies
are covered with shaggy fur that provides DR +1 and PD +1.
Unlike the chimps from which they were grown, the Ozian Winged Monkey has a
prehensile tail that can be used to grasp items, but not to attack. The monkeys have claws
that do 1d+1 crushing damage. Like normal chimpanzees, they may bite for 1d of cutting
damage.
Ozian Winged Monkeys are controlled by the Wicked Witch of the West via an Enslave
spell (p. M68), allowing her to see what the monkeys see and to direct them mentally.
Given their hideous appearance, and the fact that they usually swarm in large packs, a
fright check must be made upon first spotting Ozian Winged Monkeys.
As a biomorph racial package, Ozian Winged Monkeys cost 88 points:
ST +6 (80 points), DX +3 (30 points), IQ -4 (-30 points), HT +5 (60 points).
Racial Advantages: Prehensile Tail (5 points), Claws (15 points), Sharp Teeth (5 points),
Thick Hide (28 points), Winged Flight (30 points).
Racial Disadvantages: Appearance: Horrific (-30 points), Presentient (-20 points), SemiUpright (-5 points), four levels of Short Lifespan (-40 points), Slave Mentality (-40 points).
Stress Atavism is not included as a disadvantage because of the Enslave spell, however
Stress Atavism could be used to buy off some of the Slave Mentality if the spell is broken.
Base stats are drawn from those for Chimpanzees in the GURPS Bestiary (p. BE11).
These figures are based on the movie version of the Winged Monkeys. In the Oz books, the
winged monkeys are less fearsome, have the racial quirk Mischievous, and are controlled
via an Oath spell (p. G77) cast with the Golden Cap.
Another problem facing magical uplifting is the creation of a viable new sentient species,
as opposed to just a sentient individual. It is safe to assume that too much genetic dabbling
will lead to sterility or at least to the inability to breed with non-uplifted members of the
source species. If a magician wants to create a race of hominoid felines, a large enough
number of cats would need to be uplifted simultaneously to ensure that the same
modifications track across all the individuals. This will increase the cost of each spell
proportionally.
To help increase the chances for species survival, Dominant Gene or other spells might be
used to reduce the chances of environmental mutation or birth defects, and magical
changes to the reproductive system -- Accelerate Pregnancy or perhaps with a reversed
form of Strike Barren -- might be made to increase fecundity or to extend fertility.
Reproductive modifications are discussed in Bio-Tech on pp. BIO47-49.
Finally, just like their scientifically created cousins, magically uplifted animals are subject
to Stress Atavism (p. CI105).
Critical failures and/or successes in the Uplifting sub-college can have dangerous results.
A critical failure could swap the minds of the caster and the subject or summon a demon to
posses the subject. A critical success could create a superintelligent creature, one smart
enough to play dumb whenever anyone is watching, biding time, until its newfound
psionic powers . . .
months after the attack. Once symptoms appear, the subject will suffer the weekly damage
and HT loss, as well as the sickness described above.
Metastasize can be countered/dispelled by Dwindle Tumor, Wish (p. M43) or a
combination of Major Healing (p. M50) and Cure Disease (p. M50). Relieve Sickness (p.
G54) will cure the symptoms, but the weekly HT loss and damage will continue.
Suspended Animation (p. M50) or TL9+ cryonics (pp. BIO113-115) can suspend the
weekly damage and HT temporarily.
Duration: Permanent
Cost: 6
Time to Cast: 30 seconds
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Resequence
Item: Staff or Wand. Energy cost to create: 1,000. Usable only by a mage.
Musculate (VH) Special
Allows the gene weaver to modify muscle structures to manipulate new/additional limbs or
to boost ST or DX.
Duration: Permanent
Cost: 225
Time to Cast: at least 1 day
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Reform Skeleton
Pheromones (VH) Special
Adds scent emitters and receptors to the subject's skin, as per Pheromone Modification (p.
BIO37). These pheromones may be tuned to specific species, as per TL10 Dominance
Pheromones (p. BIO37), or they could be used as a form of Secret Communication (p.
CI65).
Duration: Permanent
Cost: 225
Time to Cast: at least 1 day
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Adapt Skin
Item: Jacket or Cloak. Energy cost to create: 1,250. If scent-based, cost is 1,000.
Reform Skeleton (VH) Special
Allows the gene weaver to modify a skeleton to support new/additional limbs or to boost
ST, HT and/or encumbrance.
Duration: Permanent
Cost: 225
Time to Cast: at least 1 day
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Sculpt Flesh
Reform Limb (VH) Special
Regrows the subject's limbs in a new form. Legs, for example, can be replaced by a
Merfolk's tail. Arms can be replaced by wings. A lost limb can be regrown.
Duration: Permanent
Cost: 225
Time to Cast: at least 1 day
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Sculpt Flesh, Lengthen Limb
Resequence (VH) Regular
Guides the gene weaver in restructuring the genetic code. Resequence must be continued
continuously during a genetic modification.
Duration: 1 day. One try per day.
Cost: 5 to cast; 5 to continue
Time to Cast: 10 minutes
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Seek Genome, Alter Body
Sculpt Flesh (VH) Special
Allows the caster to make simple, cosmetic modifications to a subject, such as changing
hair color or adding pointy ears or webbing between fingers. Generally, these modification
will have little or no game effect, although it could be used to change eyelids into
Nictating Membranes (p. CI62).
Duration: Permanent
Cost: 116
Time to Cast: at least 4 hours
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Enchantment, Merging Shapeshift, Resequence
Seek Genome Information
Helps the caster determine which genes must be adapted to ensure successful gene
modification. It must be recast for each advantage being added.
Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 2 to cast; 1 to maintain
Time to Cast: 1 minute
Prerequisite: Magery 1
Item: An automedic, diagnosis table or medscanner (p. UT94). Energy cost to create:
1,000. Usable only by a mage.
The Brain! (VH) Special
The Brain! allows a caster to boost the IQ of a subject by 1 point. Success in casting
depends upon the base intelligence of the subject, as does the energy cost of the spell (see
chart). Normal Magery bonuses do not apply to The Brain!, and it cannot raise IQ above
15.
Base IQ
Modifier
Cost
1
0
500
2-3
-1
600
4-5
-2
750
6-7
-3
900
8-9
-4
1,150
10
-5
1,300
11
-6
1,600
12
-7
1,900
13
-8
2,200
14
-9
2,500
As a creature's IQ is boosted, its physical body may need to be reshaped with other Gene
College spells to take advantage of increased brain capacity. Uplift can be used with The
Brain! to raise a creature to Presentience (p. CI103).
At GM option, a critical success with The Brain! (or a variant version of the spell) could
spark latent psionic powers (p. P86) in a subject whose IQ is greater than 12.
Duration: Permanent
Cost: see chart
Time to Cast: at least 1 week
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Resequence, 8 each Gene and Information spells.
Uplift (VH) Special
Uplift can spark a limited degree of self-awareness in creatures with an IQ of at least 5.
Creatures affected by Uplift become Presentient (p. CI103) and can be uplifted gradually
to full sentience. For more information on the uplifting process, see Uplift, pp. U60-77, or
the Engineered Animals section of Bio-Tech, pp. BIO98-105.
Duration: Permanent
Cost: 500
Time to Cast: at least 1 week
Prerequisites: Magery 3, The Brain!
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